Device for catching and holding fowls.



PATENTE'DDMAR. a, 1903..

' J. S. ORR.

DEVICE FOR GATG HING AND HOLDING FOWLSP APPLIQATI ON FILED 001223,1902..

JOHN STEVENS ORR, OF

DEVICE FOR CATCHING PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTA, KENTUCKY.

AND HOLDING FOWLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,829, dated. March3, 1903.

Application filed October 23, 1902.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN STEVENS ORR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Augusta, in the county of Bracken and State of Kentucky,have invented a new and useful Device for Catching and Holding Fowls, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a device for catching and holding fowls.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive,and efficient device designed for catching fowls and capable of enablingthe same to be quickly captured without injury and adapted after a fowlhas been caught to permit the same to stand naturally, whereby the fowlmay be displayed to the greatest advantage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter adapted for catching fowls on the ground and capable also ofbeing advantageously used for catching the same when the fowls are atroost on a perch or in a tree or in any other high or otherwiseinaccessible place.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device for catchingand holding fowls constructed in accordance with this inven tion. Figs.2 and 3 are detail sectional views on the lines 2 2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a frame composed of a taperedcentral portion 2 and sides 3, diverging from the central taperedportion and forming inwardly-tapered spaces. The central portion 2tapers outwardly and is preferably formed by two sides or bars arrangedat an angle, as shown, and connected by cross-pieces 4 and 5, havingopenings for the reception of a pole or handle 6. These cross-pieces arepreferably enlarged at the center, as shown, and'they may be of anyornamental shape, and the frame may be otherwise ornamented, if desired.The sides- 3 are connected with the central portion at the inner, end ofthe frame by approximately semicircular portions or bonds 6, and thesecurved portions or bends form recesses for the reception of the legs ofa fowl, andthey Serial No. 128,492. (No model.)

are of a size to comfortably receive the same without permitting thefoot to pass through it. The frame forms a pair of flaring months orentrances to the recesses and is adapted to be readily pushed beneaththe body of a fowl to bring the legs of the same into the recesses atthe inner end of the frame.

The legs of a fowl are confined within the recesses at theinner end ofthe frame by movable jaws '7, provided with highly-resilient springs 8and consisting of longitudinal portions 9 and transverse portions 10.Thehighlyresilient springs 8, which are suitably secured to the outerportions of the sides 3 at the inner faces thereof, connect the jawswith the same and permit the jaws to move transversely for admitting thelegs of a fowl to the rear portion of the frame without bruising,scratching, or otherwise injuring the fowl. The longitudinal portion 9of the jaw extends obliquely or diagonally of the frame from the outerportion of the outer side 3 to the inner end of the central portion atone side thereof, and it forms an inwardly-tapered space and is adaptedto be readily moved laterally by the leg of a fowl.

The transverse portion 10 of the jaw is approximately semicircular, andit completes the circular engaging or confining portions of the device,and it fits against the adjacent side of the central portion of theframe. The transverse portion of the jaw is provided at its outer endwith'an arm 11, and it presents an inner concave face to the leg of afowl, and

any pressure on the jaw after the leg has ontered the confining-spacewill operate to hold the jaw firmly closed and effectually prevent itfrom being accidentally opened. The transverse portion of the jaw isround to present a smooth surface to the leg of a fowl, and the arm 11,which is arranged in an approximately elliptical opening 12 of the sideof the frame, guides the jaw thereon.

The resilient springs, which are very thin, are preferably formedintegral with the jaws, and they may be secured vto the outer portionsof the sides3 by rivets or any other suit- .able means.

The approximately semicircular connecting portions or bonds 6, whichcooperate with the curved portions of the jaws to form the circularconfining-spaces for the legs of a fowl,

ICO

is round orcircular in cross-section and is designed to be provided witha suitable elastic covering 13, which maybe constructed of any desiredmaterial and which is adapted to prevent the device from injuring thelegs of a fowl; also, the curved transverse portions of the jaws may besimilarly covered, if desired, and any other portion of the device maybe provided with means for preventing the metal from coming in contactwith a fowl.

The pole or handle, which may be of any desired length, may beconstructed of any suitable material, and it is preferably provided atits outer end with an oppositely-tapered pin 14 to fit in the aperturesof the crosspieces 4 and 5, and it is removably connected with theframeto permit it to be detached after a fowl has been captured. Theframe is provided with an eye 15, preferably mounted on the cross-piece5 and adapted to receive a string or cord 16, so that after a fowl hasbeen captured the handle or pole may be detached to permit the fowl tostand naturally. The fowl may be held by the string or cord when thehandle is detached, and in this manner it will be permitted to flutterand otherwise display itself most advantageously.

The cross-piece 5 is in the form of a double socket and is composed ofinner and outer end webs or flanges and longitudinal connecting webs orflanges. The inner and outer transverse webs or flanges are providedwith openings 17 and 17, and the longitudinal connecting webs or flangeshave similar openings 18 and 18. The openings 17 and 17 are arranged inalinement with the opening 19 of the cross-piece 4, and the openings 18and 18 are transversely alined to receive the pin 14 to permit thedevices to be arranged at right angles to the pole or handle forenabling the fowl-engaging mechanism to be set in proper position foroperation overhead. This will permit the device to be advantageouslyemployed for catching a fowl roosting in a high tree or in the upperportion of a barn or other high place. By this construction the wildestfowl of a barnyard may be quickly and easily captured at night.

The device is adapted to enable any one of a number of fowls to bequickly captured and will be found especially advantageous by fanciersand others, as any particular fowl may be readily obtained and theinconvenience resulting from a haphazard or chance capture will beobviated.

Although the device is particularly designed for capturing and holdingfowls, yet it will be readily understood that the frame and the jaws maybe varied in form to adapt them for catching and holding various otheranimals, and various other changes in the form, proportion, size, andthe minor details of construction within the scope of the appendedclaims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

It will be seen that the device is exceedingly simple and inexpensive inconstruction, that it is easily operated, and that the jaws, which arenormally closed, are adapted to open and close automatically to permitthe legs of a fowl to enter the recesses atthe back of the frame and toconfine them therein.

What is claimed is- 1. A catching and holding device provided with aleg-receiving opening having a normally closed yieldable jaw arranged tobe opened on coming in contact with an obstructing object and to closeautomatically on its release.

2. A catching and holding device comprising a frame having leg-receivingopenings provided with flaring entrances, and normally.

closed yieldable jaws arranged to be opened on coming in contact with anobstructing object and to close automatically when released.

3. A catching and holding device comprising a frame having leg-receivingopenings, and spring-actuated jaws normally closed and provided withobliquely-disposed portions arranged to be operated by the legs of ananimal, substantially as described.

4. A catching and holding device comprising a frame having leg-receivingopenings, and spring-actuated jaws having transverse portions forconfining the legs of an animal in the openings and provided withobliquelyarranged outer portions to be operated by the legs of ananimal, substantially as described.

5. A catching and holding device comprising a frame having a centralportion and provided with side portions spaced from the central portion,and spring-actuated jaws mounted in the spaces between the side andcentral portions of the frame, and normally arranged in a closedposition and having obliquely-disposed portions' arranged to be engagedby the legs of an animal to open the jaws, substantially as described.

6. A catching and holding device comprising a frame composed of atapered central portion and diverging side portions, and normally closedspring-actuated jaws mounted in the spaces between the central and sideportions of the frame, substantially as described.

7. A catching and holding device comprising a frame having central andside portions, the latter being provided with guide-openings, andnormally closed spring-actuated jaws arranged in the spaces between thecentral and side portions of the frame and provided with transverseportions guided in the said openings, substantially as described.

8. A catching and holding tool comprising a frame having anoutwardly-tapered central portion provided with sides spaced apart andthe outwardly-diverging side portions connected with the sides of thecentral portion, means located between the sides of the central portionfor the reception of a handle or pole, and normally closedspring-actuated jaws mounted on the frame, substantially as described.

JUL

9. A catching and holding tool comprising In testimony that I claim theforegoing as a frame provided with yielding catching and my own I havehereto affixed my signature in 10 holding means and having a doublesocket the presence of two witnesses. provided with openings arrangedlongitudi- 5 nally and transversely of the device, where- JOHN STEVENSby the same may be arranged longitudinally Witnesses: and transverselyof a pole, substantially as BEN HARBISON, described. W. C. SADLER.

